Adjustable bearing for grinding wheels



.June 22 1926.

A, P. STEINER ADJUSTABLE BEARING FOR GRINDING WHEELS Filed May l5. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 22 1926. 1,589,440

A. P. STEINER ADJUSTABLE BEARING, FO GRINDING WHEELS Filed Mafia. 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 gnuemi o1 Amos? Steiner 61H0: web,

Patented June 22,` 1926.

cuir no .STATE-5 nos r. STEINE@ or' WAYNSB'ORO, lnnivstr'nvara, rssroioa To vL ANn'rsvv TOOL COMPANY, or WAYNESBORO, PENNSYLVANIA A CORPORATION OF PENNSYILV'ANI'A'.

ADJUSTABLE BEARING rolt G'RINniN/cr' WHEELS.

Applicata@ sied May 1a, 1925. seriall No. 30,058.

rIhis invention relates to a bearingA for a high speed' spindle such as a' wheel spindle for a' grinding machine, where the bearing must it very closely while the spindle is running to prevent vibration and chatter. A close iit'tingbearing generatesk heat and thiscauses expansion, which expansion must not be restricted or the spindie will seize and stick.' The usual methodxof enclosing the bronze bearing' inside' of a solid castf iron housing is often the cause of trouble, as the expansion of bronze is greater than that of cast' iron, therefore the expansion of the bronze is restricted in expanding outwardly by the cast iron housing and must therefore be forced in toward the spindle, which is also being lexpanded by the heat, with the result, that the spindle is seized by the bearing and probably ruined.

The principal object of this invention is to provide means whereby a wheel spindle bearing can be quickly and easily adjusted without stopping the spindle or disturbing or dismantling any part of the bearing.

A further object is to provide a removable cap over the bearing of a composition similar to the bearing itself in regard to expansion so that the bearing and cap will expand uniformly together.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts:

Figure 1 is an assembly section showing the ygeneral arrangement,

Figure 2, a plan view of one of the bearings,

Figure 3, an end elevation of the same,

Figure 4, a detail elevation of the adjusting wedge and pinion,

igure 5, a side elevation of the pinion,

and

Figure 6, a plan of the adjusting wedge.

In the drawings, reference character 10 indicates a wheel spindle, carryinor a. grinding wheel 11 and driven by a pulley 12. A belt on a driving pulley below the pulley 12 drives pulley 12 and the spindle therefore the pull of the belt is downward and the grinding pressure is exerted against the lower bearing 13 which is securely bolted to the wheel base.

An upper bearing 14 rests on the wheel spindle and is held n position thereon by the housing 1 the spindle.

15. The bearing 14 is made of` some suitable material for bearing purposes and usually of bronze and the composition of the cap or housingl'is the same as that of the bearing, or if not then thel housing is preferably made of material having approximately the same co-eiiicientof eXpansion as the bearing. The purpose of this, as above indicated is to cause the two parts to expand at substantially the same-rate and thus prevent undue heating and seizing of Thexhousing 15 is boited to the lowerbearing 13 and the inner surface of the housing is shown as being inclined away from the grinding wheel. A wedge 16 has a straight face corresponding to that of the bearing 14 and an inclined face cooperating with that of the housing 15, the wedge being slidably mounted between said parts and having means for adjustingl it lengthwise of the spindle to position t ,e bearing 14 correctly, so as to compensate for wear on the bearing.

The wedge is provided at one side with a series of teeth 16 forming a rack for engagement with teeth of a pinion 17 having a cylindrical head 18 journaled in the housing 15 and a reduced part 19 also journaled in a recess in the housing.

A set screw 20 mounted in the cap 15 is positioned to bear against the head 18 to lock the wedge in adjusted position. A recessis provided at 21 in the head of the pinion for engagement by a wrench or key and thus the pinion may be turned to adjust the position of the wedge and consequently of the bearing or brass, the set screw being first backed oft' to permit the pinion to turn freely.

It wiil be obvious to those skilled lin the art that various changes ma be made in my device without departing rom the spirit of the invention and therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire tov secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A spindle bearing comprising a .fixed bearing member, a loose bearing member, a cap secured to the fixed bearing member for holding the loose bearing member in place the material of the cap having a coeiicient of expansion approximating that of the upper bearing, a wedge between the loose bearing member and the cap said wedge having an inclined surface cooperating with an inclined surface on one of the adjacent members, and means for adjusting the Wedge to force the loose bearing toward the spindle, substantially as set forth.

2. A spindle bearing comprising a fixed bearing member, a loose bearing member, a cap of material similar to that of the loose bearing member secured to the fixed bearing member for holding the loose bearing member in place, a wedge between the loose bearing member and the cap said wedge having a surface extending lengthwise of the spindle cooperating with an inclined surface on one of said adjacent members to force the loose bearing member toward the shaft, and means for moving` the wedge lengthwise of the spindle, substantially as set forth.

3. A spindle bearing comprising a fixed bearing member having a semi-cylindrical bearing surface, a loose bearing member having a semi-cylindrical bearing surface, a

cap secured to the fixed bearing member for holding the loose bearing member in place, a wedge between the loose bearing and the cap said wedge having a surface extending lengthwise of the spindle cooperating with an inclined surface on one of said adjacent members, means for moving the wedge lengthwise of the spindle including a pinion rotatably mounted on the bearing, and teeth on the wedge engaging the teeth of the pinion, substantially as set forth.

4. In a spindle bearing, a fixed bearing member, a loosebearing member of different composition, and a housing rigidly secured to the fixed bearing member the rate of eX- pansion of the housing being the same as that of the loose bearing member, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Waynesboro, Pennsylvania this 6th day of May, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-five.

AMOS P. STEINER. 

